Tag: Punjab

Should culture not change ?

These are just some random rants about what I have been thinking about. Watching this podcast episode by Sangtar kind of pushed me to scribble it down here.

So should the culture not change ? How do we decide that what all bits should stay as they are and what all bits should change ? Also, who decides that ? We have seen that black and white photograph showing a traditional Punjabi kitchen. Such kitchens had arrangement for letting the smoke out but of course wood and all the stuff that was used wasn’t a clean fuel like modern day things including gas and electric stoves. Since mostly women worked in the kitchen, they were the ones most impacted by this. That photograph looks nice and nostalgic but should it not have gone anyway ensuring better health for all who work in the kitchen ?

Another example is of so called honor killings. Not that it doesn’t happen in these times but in a civilized society governed by law and order, what place all such things have ?

Ways of agriculture are another thing worth talking about. These days most of the work is being done by different types of machines. Compare it with what was happening half a century ago and most of those practices aren’t there anymore. Should this not have changed ?

But there is sort of downside to it. There are so many things interlinked. Literature that is written in a particular period, a lot of it is based on the lifestyle of those times. You need to know those times to understand the texts from those days. Now next generations, that are living a different life, how would they be able to relate to the writings of those times ? Literature can’t be discarded like that. That would mean the history is being discarded. So how do we strike a balance ?

Girls addicted to drugs in Punjab

A friend sent a link to a video that shows 2 girls smoking smack and cigarettes in what looks like a hostel room. Neither this is something totally new nor as a man, I have any right to say that girls shouldn’t do this. When boys are doing all this why not girls ? But something visual like this does make an impact and makes you think like where we are heading ?

The reason why I think it marks a new low in our society is something else. Alcohol and drugs related issues are not very new to Punjab. It was there since our grandfathers’ generation or even before. But even in those times women were the members of the family who saved the homes and families even in the cases where men of the house were drunkards or drug addicts. They worked hard to save whatever little they could. They would work in the fields, do small house hold jobs and what not. Aim was to keep the house running. But now when women have taken to drugs like this, it makes me really really sad about what our future holds for us.

Not sure how much one can do as an individual but most certainly all these things aren’t good signs.

May God save us from this disaster.

aj da Punjab

Called home and was talking to father saab. He told about a recent incident in our village. A husband & wife worked in the High School there. Husband retired sometime ago and he got few lakhs as his full & final amount. Their son who is a drug addict was demanding that money from his father. He said no to any money as he needed to get the two girls married off with that money. One day his son beat him up and hit him on the head. Probably due to that he lost his mental balance and one day committed suicide by jumping in front of the train. Villagers called the boy and first he denied to come and then came well dressed wearing black goggles. While giving the statement to Police he said “I am feeling stressed now, will record my statement after 2-3 days”.

This is the reality of Punjab today.

meri likhi kavita…

Sent by one of my friend. An amazing poem by Surjit Patar saab.

ਮੇਰੀ ਮਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਮੇਰੀ ਲਿਖੀ ਕਵਿਤਾ ਸਮਝ ਨਾ ਆਈ
ਭਾਵੇਂ ਮੇਰੀ ਮਾਂ ਬੋਲੀ ਚ ਲਿਖੀ ਹੋਈ ਸੀ

ਓਹ ਤਾਂ ਬਸ ਏਨਾ ਸਮਝੀ
ਪੁੱਤ ਦੀ ਰੂਹ ਨੂੰ ਦੁਖ ਹੈ ਕੋਈ

ਪਰ ਇਸਦਾ ਦੁਖ ਮੇਰੇ ਹੁੰਦਿਆਂ
ਆਇਆ ਕਿਥੋਂ ?

ਨੀਝ ਲਾ ਕੇ ਦੇਖੀ
ਮੇਰੀ ਅਨਪੜ ਮਾਂ ਨੇ ਮੇਰੀ ਕਵਿਤਾ
ਦੇਖੋ ਲੋਕੋ
ਕੁਖੋਂ ਜਾਏ
ਮਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਛੱਡ ਕੇ
ਦੁਖ ਕਾਗਤਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਦਸਦੇ ਨੇ

ਮੇਰੀ ਮਾਂ ਨੇ ਕਾਗਜ਼ ਚੁਕ ਸੀਨੇ ਨੂੰ ਲਾਇਆ
ਖਬਰੇ ਇੱਦਾਂ ਹੀ
ਕੁਝ ਮੇਰੇ ਨੇੜੇ ਹੋਵੇ
ਮੇਰਾ ਜਾਇਆ…

meri maan nu meri likhi kavita samjh na aai
bhawein meri maan-boli ch likhi hoi c

oh tan bas enna samjhi
putt di rooh nu dukh hai koi

par isda dukh mere hundian
aya kitho ?

neejh la ke dekhi
meri anparh maan ne meri kavita
dekho loko
kukho jaaye
maan nu chad ke
dukh kaagtan ni dasde ne

(neejh – close look)

meri maan ne kagaz chuk ke sine nu laya
khabre eddan hi
kujh mere nede hove
mera jaaya…